Tag: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: No broken jaw, teeth alignment needed for Twins Farmer; Umpire hit in head by ball sent to hospital; plus more

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Minnesota Twins Kyle Farmer hits the deck after getting hit in the jaw by a Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito at Target Field in Minneapolis. Farmer will need to have his teeth realigned according to Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. photo by USA Today)

On Headlines with Jessica:

#1 Minnesota Twins shortstop Kyle Farmer was hit in the jaw by Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito who threw a 91.6 MPH pitch. Farmer was laid out and had to get help up and was able to walk with assistance to the Twins clubhouse. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after the game Wednesday that Farmer will need to get his teeth realigned, Farmer had to have a laceration closed and was very lucky to avoid getting a broken jaw.

#2 MLB second base umpire Larry Vanover was hit in the head by a ball that was was thrown by Cleveland Guardians shortstop Andres Gimenez who intended to throw to home plate after the New York Yankees Kyle Higashioka hit it to Gimenez. Vanover was removed for the game for precautions and was taken to a local hospital for observation.

#3 A group called Big League Utah wants a big league expansion team in downtown Salt Lake City. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that he would like to have 32 teams in the majors. Salt Lake City is one of three other cities who want an expansion team Nashville, Portland, and Charlotte. Oakland and Tampa Bay do not look like they’ll be getting stadium soon and they could be looking for a place to move to.

#4 Jessica, the Tampa Bay Rays continue to run away with it they picked up their 12th straight win against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon 9-2. The Rays remain unbeaten through 12 games. The Rays are getting the hitting, today they opened up in the bottom of the first with three runs and got good starting pitching from Rays starter Taj Bradley.

#5 The Los Angeles Angels have banned a beat writer who was on the Angels radio show “Beat Reporters Round Table.” Angels team president John Carpino wanted Athletic beat writer Sam Blum barred from coming back on the show because he was too critical of the Angels. The Angels are currently a .500 team. Carpino said that he was banned because he was too negative on the show and the show is supposed to be an upbeat program.

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports Wednesday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

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7 year old Indie Erardy shows off her newly signed baseball as Oakland Athletic players sign for the fans at Las Vegas Ballpark on Sun Mar 4, 2023 before their exhibition split squad game against the Cincinnati Reds (Las Vegas Register Review photo)

Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Three big points for the Oakland A’s today and their possible move to Las Vegas are all related to money. Here they are: 1-Revenue sharing:

During the Winter Meetings in December, commissioner Rob Manfred pointed to January 15, 2024, as something of a deadline for the A’s to have a binding agreement with the City of Oakland. Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the A’s would lose their status as a recipient of revenue-sharing

(MLB teams will receive at least $100 million annually from TV rights contracts)

2-MLB relocation fee:

Commissioner Rob Manfred said that under current guidelines he has control of charging a franchise fee and has already gone to his executive council, which has endorsed the position. “That’s why I was prepared to say it publicly,” Manfred said: “If they can get it done in Vegas, there will not be a relocation fee for them.”

(How much does it cost to relocate an MLB team? An expansion fee would run at least $2.2 billion, Manfred said in April 2021, calculating the average value of major-league franchises at the time) 3-Las Vegas factor:

While the A’s played a couple of games this weekend at their Las Vegas Aviators Stadium (AAA affiliate) at Summerlin. Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson told the San Francisco Chronicle that while “the governor has said no new taxes, that doesn’t mean there aren’t public revenues available” The Commissioner appeared ready to lobby state officials (in the Nevada legislation) for some “gift” close to the $750 million that Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis received for a new stadium.

The Oakland A’s, according to the state of Nevada records, has recently formed a lobbying group for Nevada’s 2023 legislative session. A’s President Dave Kaval is listed among the names that make up the “Athletics Investment Group”. These lobbyists for the A’s are trying to influence legislation in Nevada’s government decisions regarding facilitating their relocation from Oakland to Sin City.

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels, some adapted to many famous films. Credited with saying this: “Money talks and BS walks”.

KIQI 1010/990AM San Francisco-Bay Area and Sacramento, returns as the A’s Official Spanish flagship station with 66 live broadcasts this 2023 season, beginning Opening Night from the Oakland Coliseum at 7 PM when they host the LA Angels.

Catch Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Manolo Hernandez Douen for all the play by play of Oakland A’s on the A’s Spanish radio network and News and Commentary with Amaury at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Charlie O: Can MLB get it’s streaming house in order before regular season starts?; plus more news

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Toronto Blue Jays star hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr will need time off from spring training and the Baseball World Classic Series as he will need to rest his inflamed knee (AP News file photo)

On the MLB podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, gotta ask the biggest story how baseball has lost it’s regional sports network and they’ve got until the end of this month to get their steaming issues settled.

#2 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said after the quarterly owners meetings in November that MLB needed to serve cable subscribers and cord cutters. Streaming services such as Apple and Peacock were praised to have such a partnership with MLB but now Regional Sports Networks are about to collapse how close is baseball to losing it’s streaming coverage. You would think with household names like Apple and Peacock those are names you count on?

#3 Charlie, spring training games are averaging 2:37 and are on it’s fastest pace since 1979.

#4 Toronto Blue Jays hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr is pulling out of the World Baseball Classic due to knee issues. Guerrero was set to represent the Dominican at the Classic but had an MRI on Friday and had some inflammation in his right knee.

#5 The San Diego Padres were really counting on pitcher Joe Musgrove to deliver the goods to start out the Padres charge for their dream to be a championship team. Musgrove dropped a kettle bell on his foot fracturing his big left toe. Musgrove will be out of the rotation for the next two weeks.

Join Charlie O for the MLB podcast Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Latest on A’s Staying or Moving Saga; Nev Gov Lombardo open to A’s move to Vegas

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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo address in the state of the state speech on Mon Jan 23, 2023 at the Assembly Chamber at the Legislature in Carson City. Lombardo is open to financing an Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas but without using public funds (Nevada Independent photo)

Latest on A’s Staying or Moving Saga

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–In November 2022, the voters of the State of Nevada elected Joe Lombardo (Republican) to be their next governor over Steve Sisolak (Democrat) who had told the Oakland A’s that the State will not be raising money so the A’s can build a new stadium in Las Vegas.

However, the current governor Joe Lombardo and the A’s recently met and; “discussed what options the team had in regards to public-private partnership opportunities. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal Lombardo on Wednesday night through a spokesperson said that although he “isn’t in favor of creating a new tax to lure a professional team to the state, there could be other avenues to entice an interested franchise.”

Baseball Commissioner who is in favor of the A’s leaving Oakland, because he doesn’t see a way the City of Oakland can keep the team, also met with the new elected governor Lombardo. who “hinted at and have chatted with the A’s about remain to be seen” this according to the governor spokesman.

The A’s however “appear to have zeroed in on a potential Las Vegas site.”The A’s have been looking at a potential site in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Festival Ground on the north end of the Strip and the other one, the Tropicana site on the south end. Earlier this month a spokesperson for Phil Ruffin, a casino magnate, said there had been no recent talks between him and the A;s regarding the festival grounds site.

Next, the Bally’s Corporation President George Papanier, in charge of the company’s casino operation confirmed that talks between them and the A’s on the Tropicana site “were ongoing”.

We could, could have some Breaking News this year, why? because this cannot go forever. This was one of the lines from “Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour” which was a radio show that ran from 1934-1948, when it made the transition to television as the “Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour” and ran until 1970; It goes like this: “round and round it goes, where does she stops, nobody knows”.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play voice on the Oakland A’s radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Where could A’s move to if Howard Terminal fails?

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke on Tuesday regarding the future of the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays who are in need of brand new stadiums and where they could move to if they don’t get them in Oakland or Tampa Bay (ABC 7 News file photo)

By Charlie O

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was in New York on Tuesday and was speaking and attending the CAA World Congress of Sports. He was asked about the stadium plans for Oakland and Tampa Bay that was provided via video by the Sports Business Journal.

Manfred admitted that the stadiums plans are at the critical point saying the Oakland Coliseum is in such poor condition, “particularly in the case of Oakland” Manfred said “we’ve had to open up the opportunity to explore other locations, just because it’s dragged on so long”

What are some of those locations? Manfred and Oakland A’s team president David Kaval have only explored Las Vegas and Kaval himself has made several trips to the Vegas South Nevada greater area looking at places just outside of Vegas like Henderson and mostly Summerlin home of the A’s triple A team the Aviators.

The list goes on of cities who want a MLB team either the Tampa Bay Rays who just were eliminated in the ALDS playoffs and the Oakland A’s who had a competitive season chasing the first place Houston Astros but failed to make post season.

Amongst those cities: New Orleans, Montreal, Indianapolis, Portland, Orlando, Nashville or Las Vegas. The list actually has more cities but these are the top places mentioned but Vegas being the most serious amongst those. What works against Vegas is that the community is “stadiumed out” having new stadiums for the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aces, and the Las Vegas Raiders not to mention UNLV basketball. Also Las Vegas is the 39th ranked TV market in the country and Oakland is in the sixth largest TV market.

The city of Las Vegas will grow from a non big league market to a four team pro market with their top college basketball team UNLV. Nothing officially decided yet but word is to no ones surprise Vegas is the front runner for getting the A’s.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff said that nothing has changed and that it’s been frustrating getting the Howard Terminal agreement to get signed and agreed upon, “The commissioner remains very frustrated and impatient as am I about the progress toward locking down the Howard Terminal project.”

Schaff said that the next big move is when the Alameda County Board of Supervisors meet on Oct 26th to vote on using tax district dollars that would pay for the project and would help construct the surrounding infrastructure. Schaff said that the commissioner wants a total commitment for the developing and financing of affordable housing and public parks to make this a complete success and going forward with making the new A’s park a success.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: National Job Creators Network Suing MLB Say Commissioner is All Strikes and No Balls

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Workers remove the MLB All Star Game sign back in April 6, 2021 after MLB pulled the mid summer classic from Trust Park in Atlanta and moved the game to Coors Field in Denver scheduled for July 2021 (AP News file photo)

National Job Creators Network Suing MLB: Say Commissioner is All Strikes and No Balls

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Here in the Bay Area one of the main topics in the world of sports was the decision by Major League Baseball to the Oakland Athletics to start looking for another city in lieu of the impasse of the new Howard Terminal Ballpark. But there is another relocation battle going on in baseball right now.

More than 30 partners from the Nevada Chamber of Commerce to the National Restaurant Association and the Jobs Creation Network filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court this Tuesday. The national trade group founded by Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, filed the lawsuit alleging that MLB decision to move the All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, because of the new ID voting law in Georgia, has greatly hurt the business community who was hit very hard by the pandemic and was hoping to bounce back during the All Star Game.

Alfredo Ortíz, the President of Job Creators Network, a Hispanic, said that Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball is “All Strikes and No Balls”. Ortiz, who is also a board member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, noted that when it comes to identification, “Major League Baseball itself requests ID at will call ticket windows at Yankee Stadium in New York, Busch Stadium in St. Louis and at ballparks all across the country.”

Ken Blackwell, once Mayor of Cincinnati and Ohio secretary of state, a “mover and shaker” in Ohio politics, an African-American minority owner of the Cincinnati Reds said; “This action is not a surprise given the real damage that’s been done” and added “the Baseball Commissioner didn’t do his homework”.

The lawsuit will demand that MLB immediately moves the game back to Atlanta or pay damages to small businesses impacted by its decision. Spokesmen for the MLB and the players association had no comment. On April 6, Major League Baseball announced that Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, home of the Rockies, will play host to the 2021 All-Star Game after previously announcing that Georgia would not house the event.

Although it is unlikely at this late time (with just a month and a half for the ASG to take place) that the game will be moved back to Atlanta, this group of national business people hope to get a ruling in the Manhattan Federal Court where they will order MLB and the Players Association to pay damages to small businesses for the financial destruction they have caused.

The lawsuit will claim that Atlanta, Georgia like all the cities that get picked to host an All Star Game prepare for years, from the moment they get the rights to host the game and Atlanta (is not different) and has been preparing for the game for years prior to the event.

How early are cities picked by MLB to host and All Star Game? Here is an example: Philadelphia will host the 2026 All-Star Game as part of its celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being signed. In 2020 for the first time since World War II an MLB All Star Game was postponed, due to the pandemic. It was to be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are now on schedule to host the MLB Midsummer Classic next year, 2022.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s environmental report for Jack London Square ballpark released: City of Oakland goal park to be a destination

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Oakland A’s team president David Kaval stands by the glass door at the Oakland Coliseum. Kaval  hopes if everything works out the construction of the A’s new park at Howard Terminal at Jack London Square should break ground by 2023 (file photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Joe Hawkes (SRS staff writers)

OAKLAND–The City of Oakland released an environmental impact report on Friday that proposes a new state of the art stadium for the Oakland A’s on the waterfront site at Howard Terminal. The new park would included 35,000 seats, 3,000 units of residential condos, housing, apartments, office working space consisting of 1.5 million feet and retail business space of 270,000 feet.

The A’s who have offices at Jack London Square will move the rest of their operations from their offices at the Oakland Coliseum to Jack London Square when the park is ready. The city said that they had envisioned big plans and ideas for the waterfront site and to convert it into a neighborhood for living, shopping, entertainment, and the A’s new park.

This is the A’s second attempt to get a park built in downtown Oakland their first attempt was at the Laney College location located at Lake Merritt but that was shot down after the college’s faculty staff objected to the A’s building a stadium at the site and it would disrupt business and traffic.

The A’s are now seeking the Howard Terminal site this time they have the city behind them on this project not to mention the 2018 legislation bill AB734 which the legislature passed which requires all complaints against the construction of the new park be filed under 270 days.

If the A’s can not move to Howard Terminal it had been suggested that the A’s could stay at the Oakland Coliseum location but the A’s and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred are all in for moving to Howard Terminal and that the Coliseum location for a new park is not an option.

Kaval said that he was pleased about getting the environmental impact report out and looked at it as a step forward towards getting started on the new Howard Terminal ballpark “We are really excited to get our draft out there, and to advance the project forward so it can be voted on by the City Council this year, which is really our key goal.”

Opponents to the new park have stated that traffic, parking, poor transit access are some of the issues that dockworkers and maritime residents have said they are concerned about. The port is concerned about conducting their business while their are ball games taking place, traffic from retail, restaurants, and housing residents.

Stadium opponents spokesman Mike Jacob vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said “that Oakland’s working waterfront is no place for a stadium, office and luxury condominium complex at this location.”

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat reporter and Joe Hawkes is a news contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Manfred says Astros disciplined enough; Fans miss most of outdoor hockey game because of traffic; plus more

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photo from bleacherreport.com: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will not punish any of the current players on the Houston Astros and is investigating if the 2019 Boston Red Sox stole signs under former Red Sox manager Alex Cora 

On Headlines podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara big league players are upset that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred did not discipline any of the Houston Astros players for the sign stealing scandal how much of a consequence will this be for MLB?

#2 Manfred said that in a perfect world the Astros players would face suspension of some type but he said he and MLB were satisfied with the suspension of former manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow and that should be enough discipline for now

#3 The game started at 6:00PM for an outdoor hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy’s Air Force Base fans said they missed a large portion of the game due to bad traffic conditions. Some fans left at 3:30 to get to Colorado Springs and didn’t get in until after the first period ended

#4 The Stanford Cardinal are on a four game losing streak their latest loss came against Arizona a home loss 69-60 the Wildcats are noted for their physical size and offense.

#5 Gerrit Cole pitcher for the New York Yankees is getting attention for his hard work and attention to detail and was a 20 game winner for the Houston Astros last season

Barbara Mason is a sportswriter for areagrande.com and does Headlines podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Pats and Brady to decide future; Can Vikings surprise 49ers Sunday? plus more

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usatoday.com file photo: Tom Brady might have played his last game in New England however Robert Kraft team owner is knocking at Brady’s door

On the podcast with Amaury:

#1 The New England Patriots have lots of questions in their off season about Tom Brady’s future where does head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots go from here?

#2 The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are coming off a huge win New Orleans one thing for sure the 49ers can’t be too over confident going into this game.

#3 Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones is not one to keep coaches long although his last one Jason Garrett survived nine seasons and finished this season at 8-8 as the Cowboys failed to make post season. Garrett will be replaced by former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

#4 It was mentioned that congress might take away baseball’s exemption status if MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred goes ahead and reduces 42 minor league teams. Will this give Manfred something to think about before pulling the trigger on the 42 minor league teams.

#5 He’s called the Cuban Ohtani- Oscar Luis Colas who defected from Cuba is headed for The Show. Colas is a left handed pitcher, an outfielder and a first baseman.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the radio play by play talent for the Oakland A’s and can be heard on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: People still asking are 49ers for real; Raiders continue out of town trip in Green Bay Sunday; plus more

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Photo credit: mercurynews.com

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 Are the San Francisco 49ers an optical illusion or are they for real? People are pinching themselves over the Niners at 5-0 and their amazing performance on both sides of the football.

#2 The Oakland Raiders continue their long strange trip this time against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The Raiders play their fourth game out of the last five weeks out on the road and they’ve won their last two games.

#3 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said for the Oakland City Council to get its act together soon or the Oakland A’s will move to Vegas. Some question if Manfred was more on the hasty and demanding side, while the city has put a legal hold on the A’s ability to buy the Coliseum property. In the meantime, CA Gov. Gavin Newsom said he will try to expedite the construction of the A’s new stadium at the Howard Terminal.

#4 The Cal Bears are coming off a tough loss to Oregon October 5th and host OSU at Cal this is expected to be a much better game this Saturday than their last game in Oregon.

#5 No one would have thought that San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau would be the difference in turning things around after the Sharks went 0-4 and now they’re up to 2-4 and could close in on .500 on Wednesday night with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center.

#6 Calls went against the Detroit Lions Trey Flowers for hand to the face on Monday Night Football on the second hands to the face call it forced the Lions into their own red zone and the Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers took a knee twice and with just a little over a minute left the Packers kicker Mason Crosby kicked a 23 yard field goal for the 23-22.

Catch Barbara for Headlines Sports podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com